Printing and segregating machine



Feb. 19, 1957 J. A. DUNN 2,781,721

PRINTING AND SEGREGATING MACHINE Filed June 4, 1954 .10 Sheets-Sheet l N\ I I f7: O O O B M75901? uDunn k Mam Wm J. A. DUNN PRINTING AND SEGREGATING MACHINE Feb. 19, 1957 10 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 4, 1954 )2 47, @ZW/wm Feb. 19, 1957 J. A. DUNN 2,781,721

PRINTING AND SEGREGATING MACHINE Filed June 4. 1954 10 Shets-Sheet s 1 l I I 1 I II I II II II :I

lizz/n to? Jase fidflu fiwmde fg Feb. 19, 1957 J. A. DUNN PRINT ING AND SEGRECATING MACHINE- 10 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 4, 1954 ||||\||Lr llll III III nll m llllll li gpunn Feb. 19, 1957 J. A. DUNN PRINTING AND SEGREGATING MACHINE -1O Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 4, 1954 Q,,\\\ N aw 5 EN Feb. 19, 1957 J. A. DUNN PRINTING AND SEGREGATING MACHINE l0 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 4, 1954 Zn 0156:6905 Dunn F H -illliiil N 1 wmW .1 u mm. a 0 x 1 1 I! .n 1\ i mm \w kw mm 8% .sw

-- sw Rm QW NM m Q Feb. 19, 1957 J. A. DUNN PRINTING AND SEGREGATING MACHINE 10 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed June 4, 1954 .Funtor: k $J21727z Feb. 19, 1957 J. A. DUNN PRINTING AND SEIGREGATING MACHINE 10 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed June 4, 1954 p n I n I Feb. 19, 1957 J. A. DUNN 2,731,721

PRINTlNG AND SEGREGATING MACHINE Filed June 4,.1954 l0 Sheets-Sheet l0 PHN 2,781,721 Um c States P e Office PRINTING AND SEGREGATING MACHINE Joseph A. Dunn, Oak Park, Ill.

Application June 4, 1954, Serial No. 434,426

6 Claims. (Cl. 101-46) This invention relates to improvements in a business machine and refers particularly to an improved machine which is ideally adaptable for billing.

In that phase of business office routine wherein multiple copies of an original are made and segregated for filing in diverse departments of the business organization, considerable time is lost in stripping carbons and segregating copies after said copies have been made from an original. In many businesses as many as eight or more copies are made of an original document, each of which is destined for a different department or different file. To make multiple copies, carbon paper is conveniently used. Hence, after the copies are made, the copies must be separated and segregated and the carbon papers must be stripped and disposed of. Where a large number of copies are made, this task of segregating copies and stripping carbons assumes considerable proportions.

The present invention has as one of its objects and advantages a machine upon which multiple copies may be made, and as a correlative function of the making of the copies, the copies are segregated and the carbon paper separated from the copies, each copy being automatically deposited in a predetermined receptacle and the carbon papers all being deposited in a common receptacle.

For purposes of correlating the copies, each series of copies is numbered, each copy of each series carrying the same number. The numbering of the copy series is sequential and, hence, as the groups of copies are made the numbers on the copies will be rotational. For instance, at the commencement of the business day at a machine where eight copies of an original document are made, the first group of eight copies may be numbered, one, the second group of eight, two, and so on. Such numbers are frequently pre-printed upon the groups of copies, and such groups, of course, pass through the machine in rotation.

One of the difficulties encountered resides in the fact that the original from which the copies are copied are not prenumbered and they must take their number from the number of the group of copy blanks upon which the data of the original is reproduced. In this fashion the original document and the copies are correlated by the same number designation. The numbering of the original document must be performed by the operator who makes the copies as an independent operation, that is, independent of the task being performed on the copying machine and frequently the operator fails to perform this separate operation of numbering the original. Hence, to subsequently trace a predetermined copy to its original is a most difiicult task.

In addition, as hereinbefore mentioned the groups of copies are prenumbered and the numbers of succeeding groups is sequential. The mechanism for numbering the originals usually comprises a conventional sequential numbering device. Hence, when an operatorinadvertently omits to number an original, all subsequently numbered originals will deviate from the prenumbered copies by said omission and, hence, unless the omission is noticed, large groups of copies will be miscorrelated to the originals.

The present invention cures this difficulty and contemplates means for rendering the copying machine inoperative until the original numbering device has been actuated. Hence, an omission in numbering an original will immediately be detected before a new group of copies can be made.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and following detailed description.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is atop plan view of my improved machine.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a portion of the machine shown in Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a portion of the machine taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the machine.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is'a detailed view of the feeler control switch for deactuating the copying machine.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing a different position of the parts.

Fig. 8 is'a sectional view taken on line 88 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9--9 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 10 is a detailed sectional view taken on line 1010 of Fig. 1, the paper, carbon paper, and paper guides being exaggerated in size.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken on line 11---11 of Fig. 4, the paper, carbon paper, and paper guides being exaggerated in size.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken on line 12-12 of Fig. 4, the paper, carbon paper, and guides being exaggerated in size.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed perspective view of one of the side-slitting knives.

Fig. 14 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 14-14 of Fig. 1.-

Fig. 15 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 1515 of Fig. 14.

Fig. 16 is a schematic wiring diagram of the control circuit for the copying machine.

To aflord a more complete understanding of the invention, the nature of the blanks upon which the copied data is reproduced will be generally described. The blanks usually comprise sections of a plurality of elongated webs which are superimposed, as many webs being employed as copies desired. For instance, if five copies are desired, five webs will be superimposed and each web will be divided transversely into sections. Thus, each section comprises five superimposed individual blanks, each section of blanks being adapted to carry the same reproduced data. Normally the blanks of said sections are consecu tively prenumbered, that is, all of the blanks of one section carry the same number and blanks of adjacent sections are consecutively numbered. In addition to the superimposed webs, carbon paper is interleaved between adjacent webs so that reproduced or carbon copies may be made with a single typing or printing operation.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 1 indicates a substantially conventional typewriter or billing machine, machine ,1 having the usual keys 2 and a platen 3. The platen is carried upon a shaft 4 which is journaled in the frame of the typewriter, said platen being rotated when the carriage of the typewriter is returned to its starting position and may also be turned by means of knobs 5 carried at the ends of the shaft 4.

' A major portion of the machine comprising the prescards, an electromagnetic device for checking the transdeposited in a predetermined receptacle and the screen ent invention is adapted to be positioned adjacent the rear of the typewriter or billing machine 1. This portion of the machine is indicated generally by the refercnce numeral 6. The machine 6 comprises a subportion 7 and a movable carriage 8. The subp'ortion 7 comprises a platform 9 which may be positioned upon the desk which holds the typewriter or billing machine 1. A plurality of spaced standards 10 are carried by the platform 9 and support at their upper ends rods or tracks 11.

The carriage 8 is provided with a plurality of grooved wheels 12 which are adapted to ride upon the transverse rods or tracks 11, the wheels 12 being adapted to support a frame 13. The forward portion of the frame 13 comprises a spaced pair of angle members 14 which embrace the opposite end portions 15 of the carriage of the typewriter or billing machine. The arrangement is such that when the carriage of the typewriter or billing machine moves, during the typing operation, the carriage 8 is moved therewith along the rods or tracks 11. The sub-portion 7 of the machine 6 also comprises a frame structure 16 which carries a plurality of slidable drawers 17, 17a, 17b, 17c and 17d. The drawers 17, 17a, 17b, 17c and 17d are open at heir upper portions and are slidably positioned in the frame 16. The drawers 17, 17a, etc. are spaced from each other whereby carbon paper-receiving slots 18 are provided. Beneath the drawers 17, 17a etc. a relatively large drawer 19 is slidably positioned upon the frame 16, the drawer 19 also being open at its upper portion.

As will be hereinafter more fully described, the drawers 17, 17a, 17b, 17c and 17d are adapted for the reception of individual copies which have been reproduced upon the typewriter or billing machine 1 and the drawer 19 is adapted for the reception of the carbon papers which are interleaved between the superimposed copies.

A platform 20 may be suspended beneath the carriage 8 for supporting a supply of blank sections 21. The blank sections 21 may comprise sections of a plurality of elongated superimposed webs which are folded to form the sections 21. Each section comprises a plurality of thicknesses of a number necessary to make the desired number of copies and between each thickness of paper a carbon paper is positioned. To feed conveniently the sections 21 to the typewriter or billing machine 1 the webs comprising the sections may be reverse folded, as indicated in Fig. 2.

The blanks 21 may be threaded around the platen 3 of the machine 1, being guided by a suitable curvilinear guide plate 22. Upon leaving the platen, after the typing has been accomplished upon a predetermined section, the section is threaded into the machine 6.

Carried upon the inner portions of the longitudinal frame members or rails 13, a plurality of horizontal guide strips 23 (Fig. 10) are positioned. The guide strips are disposed in plane-parallel spaced relationship to each other and provide guideways for the webs constituting the sections 21 and for the interleaved carbon papers 24. The guide strips, at their forward end portions extend inwardly toward each other providing a plurality of inwardly inclined superimposed fingers 25. Hence, to thread the paper sections 21 and carbon papers 24 between the strips 23, the operator, where the sections enter the machine 6, threads the sections and carbon papers between the superimposed fingers 25. Thus, when the platen 3 turns, the sections 21 comprising the proper copies and interleaved carbon papeprs move between fingers 25 and are guided between respective guide strips 23.

As a feature of the present invention the elongated superimposed webs, comprising the superimposed copies and the interleaved carbon papers, are provided with 0pposite notches 26 at the division lines between adjacent sections 21. The purpose of the notches is threefold. As will be hereinafter more fully described, it may be desirable to print upon the copies comprising each section. In order to properly align the copies with the printing mechanism, a stop or alignment mechanism cooperates with the notches to orient the sections with the printing mechanism. Secondly, the notches are employed With the feeler mechanism of a control switch for rendering the typewriter or billing machine 1 inoperative until the original from which the copies are made is properly numbered, all as will be hereinafter more fully described. Thirdly, the superimposed webs are eventually transversely severed while they are held at their longitudinal edges in the guides 23, and, hence, the severance takes place between opposite notches 26 to divide the superimposed webs into sections.

To exemplify the function of the notches 26 as a stop or indexing means, the printing mechanism will be described. In general, in making copies from an original in a billing operation, it frequently happens that numerous copies in a large number of succeeding sections contain common subject matter, such as, the name and address of the one being billed, whether the bills which accompany the goods are Prepaid, COD or Collect etc. To eliminate repetitious work on the part of the operator, rather than have the operator type such repetitious material upon each copy, it is much more efiicient to provide a readily changeable printing mechanism for performing this task. The printing apparatus contcmplated in the present invention is described as follows: The side walls 13 of the carriage 8 extend upwardly adjacent the machine 1 to form opposite upwardly extending walls 27. A pair of spaced guides 28 are positioned upon the inner face of each of the opposite walls 27. .A cam follower plate 29 is slidably positioned in each pair of guides 28, each cam follower plate 29 being secured, by means of screws 30 or the like, to a print ing block 31. Thus the printing block 31 is movable upwardly and downwardly over the path of travel of the sections 21.

A printing plate 32 may be positioned upon one portion of the lower face of the block 31, said printing plate being conveniently of the embossed type. The printing plate 32 is secured to the block 31 by means of ledges 33 between which the printing plate 32 may be slidably positioned beneath the surface of block 31.

The block 31 also carries a plurality of dovetail notches 34 and the lower surface of the block adjacent said notches is tapered upwardly as indicated at 35 in Fig. 9. A print control rod 36 is slidably positioned in each of the notches 34 and each rod carries a triangular printing plate 37, the lower surface of which carries printing characters 38., The printing block 31 is recessed as at 39 and the end portions of the rods 37 extend into said recess.

The arrangement is such that each of the triangular printing blocks 37 may carry an appropriate legend which is adapted to be impressed upon the copies during the printing operation. For instance, one of the blocks 37 may carry characters 38 which may impress the legend PPD indicating on the face of the copy the designation Prepaid. Another of the triangular blocks 37 may carry the legend Collect and the other block 37 may carry the legend COD. Depending upon the designation to be impressed upon the copies one or the other of the triangular blocks may be moved into printing position. The movement is accomplished by sliding the selected rod 36 within the dovetail groove 34 until the characters 33 carried by the selected. block are in plane-parallel relationship to the passing bill. The non-selected blocks 37 may be moved outwardly with respect to the grooves 3 said movementbeing accommodated by the recess 33. To conveniently move the rods 36 into and out of position, a handle portion 40 may be formed upon the end of each of the rods 36.

Thus, data which may be common to all of the bills copied may be impressed upon said bills by fixed printing plates 32 and 37, for instance, the plate 32 may carry characters adapted to print the name and address of the one to whom the bill may be addressed and the characters 38 on a selected block 37 may be so poistioned as to printthe designations Prepaid, Collect or COD. Of course, the example hereinbefore set forth is employed merely for purposes of illustration and if desired the plates 32 and 37 may carry any desired characters. By virtue of the fact that a plurality of plates 37 is employed, one or more of said plates may be disposed in printing position.

The block 31 carries a pair of upwardly extending spaced standards 41 which are adapted to carry spools 42 for containing an inked ribbon 43. The ribbon 43 may be carried around the guide rollers 44 positioned upon the opposite sides of the block 31, said guide rollers disposing the ribbon beneath the characters carried by the printing plates 32 and 37, that is, the plate 37 which is in printing position.

A shaft 45 extends across the carriage 8 and is journaled in bearings 46 carried upon the upwardly extending frame members 27. A lever 47 is secured, intermediate its length, to one end of shaft 45, said lever at one end having a hand-contacting lug 48 and at its opposite end said lever carries a pin 49 which functions as an anchorage for one end of a coil spring 50, the opposite end of the coil spring being anchored upon pin 51 mounted upon the frame plate 27. At the opposite end of shaft 45 from lever 47 a link 52 is rigidly secured to said shaft.

A cam roller 53 is secured to shaft 45 adjacent its opposite ends, each cam roller being positioned immediately above a cam plate 29 which is secured to the printing block 31. The arrangement is such that when lever 47 is depressed cams 53, acting upon cam plates 29 depress the printing block 31 to bring the ribbon 43 into contact with the upper surface of a section 21 disposed immediately beneath the printing block 31.

Lover 47, intermediate its length, carries a pin 54 and the arm 52 at its end portion carries a similar pin 55. A shaft 56 extends across the carriage 8 and the end portions thereof extend through opposite vertical slots 57. A bell crank lever 58 is rigidly secured to the opposite ends of shaft 56 outside of the slots 57. A link 59 is pivotally connected at one end to each of the bell crank levers 58. The opposite end portion of each link 59 is provided with a slot 60. The pin 54 carried by lever 47 and a pin 55 carried by arm 52, the members rigidly connected to shaft 45, extend through each of the slots 60, respectively. The arrangement is such that when lever 47 is depressed, the initial movement of said lever causes earns 53 to depress the printing block 31. During the initial movement of the shaft 45 caused by the depression of the lever 47 the pins 54 and 55 move through the slots 60 and hence, initially, the bell crank levers 58 are not rocked. However, continued depression of the lever 47 brings the pins 54 and 55 to the ends of the slots 60 and hence further depression of the lever rocks the bell crank levers 58 thereby rotating rod 56.

A guide bar 61 is positioned upon the outer portion of each of the frame plates 27 adjacent their lower edges, said guide bars being provided with a recess 62. A rack 63 is slidably positioned in each recess 32 and hence said rack is slidably mounted upon the guide bars 61. A shaft 64 is journaled at its opposite ends in the opposite racks 63 and, between the frame members 27, the shaft 64 carries a resilient surfaced printing roller 65. As will be hereinafter more fully described the roller 65 is adapted to roll beneath the printing block 31 and establish pressure between the sections 21 and the ribbon 43 which is disposed immediately beneath the type characters carried by the printing block 31. In this fashion the upper copy of the section 21 is printed by the coaction of the ribbon 43 and the type characters and the lower copies are also printed by the interleaved carbon papers. Thus, the data carried by the printing plates is impressed upon all of the copies constituting the section positioned immediately beneath the printing block 31.

To move the printing roller 65, each bell crank lever 58 comprises an arm 66 each of which is provided with an open slot 67. A bar 68 is positioned upon each of the frame plates 27 and is supported for longitudinal movement by spaced guides 69 carried upon the outer faces of the frame plates 27. A pinion 70 is journaled upon each of the bars 68, the teeth of said pinion being in engagement with the teeth of each rack 63. A pin 71 is carried upon each bar 68, said pin being in engagement in slot 67 of an arm 66 of each bell crank lever 58. A rack 72 is rigidly positioned upon each of the frame plates 27 immediately above each bar 68, the teeth of said rack being in engagement with the teeth of each pinion 70.

The arrangement is such that when the lever 47 is depressed and the pins 54 and 55 reach the ends of the slots 60 thereby rocking the bell crank levers 58, the arms 66 of said bell crank levers move the bars 68 longitudinally, in a direction from right to left, as viewed in Figs. 5 and 7. The longitudinal movement of the bars 68 cause rotation of the pinions 70 and hence the racks 63 are moved in the same direction as the movement of the bars 68 but at double the translatory speed of said bars. Hence the roller 65 is rolled beneath the printing block 31 and the printing operation is performed upon the copies comprising the section 21 which is disposed in the printing position. A slot 73 is provided in the lower portion of each frame plate 27 through which the ends of the shaft 64 extend.

At the forward end portion of the carriage 8 a rod 74 is journaled in opposite frame members 75 which latter comprise extensions of the frame plates 27. A sleeve 76 is rigidly secured to the shaft 74 adjacent each of its end portions and each sleeve carries a lever 77. Each lever at its end portion carries a feeler lug 78 which is urged upwardly by means of a coil spring 79 which is secured to a pin 80 carried by the lever at one end and anchored upon a lug 81 secured to the frame portion of the machine. A control rod 82 is secured to an intermediate portion of one of the levers 77 and it has a knurled portion 83 which extends outwardly from the frame of the machine.

When the sections 21 move from the platen 3 of the machine 1 and are threaded between the fingers 25, further movement of the sections causes opposite notches between two adjacent sections to move over the feeler lugs 78. The feeler lugs thus extend through the notches. 26 and function to stop further forward movement of the sections. When the feeler lugs 78 thus protrude through the notches 26, the appropriate portion of the section 21 which is to be printed by the plates 32 and 36 will be disposed immediately beneath said plates. In other words, the feeler lugs 78 function in conjunction with the notches 26 as an indexing means for properly positioning the sections beneath the printing mechanism. As has been hereinbefore described, this constitutes one important function of the notches 26 in the superimposed webs comprising the sections 21. When it is desired to again move the webs the operator depresses the control bar 82 thus disengaging the feeler lugs 78 from the notches.

Referring particularly to Fig. 8, a pair of blocks 84 are slidably positioned in guides 85. A knife 86 is carried at each of its ends upon the blocks 84, said knife being transversely positioned above the path of travel of the sections 21. A cam 87 is rigidly secured adjacent each end of the shaft 56, said cams being disposed inwardly from the frame plates 27. The blocks 84 have inwardly extending extensions 88 which are disposed immediately beneath the cams 87.

When the lever 47 has been depressed thereby rocking shaft 56, the cams 87 are rotated and the high portion of said cams contact the extensions 88 and move the blocks 84 downwardly. The downward movement of the blocks 84 results in severing the sections 21. It will be noted, particularly withv reference to Figs. and 7, that the knife 86 is disposed in substantial transverse alignment with the feeler lugs 78. Hence, when the knife 86 descends it will cut the sections in substantial alignment with the central portions of the notches 26 as indicated by the lines of severance 89 in Fig. l. Accordingly, the sections 21 as held by the platform and as they pass around the platen 3 of the typewriter or billing machine 1 are joined together. While the typing operation is being performed by the operator upon the machine 1 said sections are still joined together. They are also joined together as they are threaded between the fingers 25 until the leading section positions itself immediately beneath the printing block 31. At this time the feeler lugs 78 protrude through opposite notches 26 and thus index the section 21 immediately beneath the printing block 31. The operation, hereinbefore described, of lowering the printing block and moving the roller beneath the sections is accompanied by the downward movement of the knife 86 and thus substantially simultaneously with carrying out the printing opcration the forward section 21 is severed.

A pair of L-shaped arms 90 are pivotally mounted as at 91 to opposite frame plates 27. A shaft 92 is rotata'bly journaled in an end portion of each of the arms 90. Spaced resilient rollers 93 are carried upon the shaft 92. A coil spring 94 is anchored to each of the arms 90 at one end of said spring and the opposite end thereof is anchored as at 95 to the frame plate 27. Thus, the arms 90 are resiliently urged in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 5 and 7, thereby urging the rollers 93 into contact with the upper surface of one of the sections 21. A shaft 96 extends transversely across the carriage and carries a bed roll '97 which is positioned beneath the shaft 92. Thus, by virtue of the springs 94 the rollers 93 are urged downwardly into contact with one of the sections whereby said section is squeezed between the rollers 93 and the bed roll 97.

A sprocket wheel 98 (Figs. 1 and 2) is carried upon the platen shaft 4. A sprocket wheel 99 is also carried upon an end portion of shaft 92 and a sprocket chain 100 is trained around sprocket wheels 93 and 99. Thus, when the platen shaft 4 rotates, the shaft 92 is caused to rotate and hence the rollers 93 urge the sections 21 forwardly. In this fashion the sections are moved to position a predetermined section beneath the printing block 31. As will be hereinafter more fully described the rollers 93, after the sections have been severed by the knife 86, are urged forwardly.

A numbering machine 101 is positioned laterally adjacent the typewriter or billing machine 1. The numbering machine 101 comprises side frame members 102 which are bridged intermediate their height by a platform 103. An inclined platform 104 is disposed at the forward end portion of the machine 101, the lower portion of said inclined platform having a bracket 105. The inclined platform 104 is adapted to function as a receptacle for original bills from which copies are made by the oprator of the machine 1, said bills being disposed in *a stack 106 upon the inclined platform 104, said stack being maintained in position by the bracket 105.

During the operation of the machine 101, as the original bills are copied they are passed through the machine and numbered, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and after the numbering operation the bill is discharged into a receptacle 107.

Referring particularly to Figs. 14 and 15 a housing 108 is pivotally secured to the upper portion of the side walls 102 by means of the hinge rod 109. The housing 108 has a rear wall 110, a top 111 and a front wall 112. The housing is also provided with opposite side walls 113. The housing being hinged upon rod 109 is swingable about said rod in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig.

readily accessible.

A shaft 114 is journaled in the side walls 113 and at one end of said shaft a lever 115 is carried, the opposite end of said shaft being secured to a collar 116. Intermediate the length of the shaft 114 and within the housing, said shaft carries a pair of spaced arms 117 which are rigidly secured to shaft 114. A pair of links 118 are pivotally connected to the ends of the respective arms 117 and at the opposite ends of said links said links are pivotally connected to spaced arms 119. A conventional numbering device 120 is mounted upon the arms 119, being secured thereto by means of screws 121 or the like. The numbering device 120 is of conventional construction and carries a plurality of movable cylinders 121 each of which carry upraised numbers. A manipulating rod 122 is associated with the cylinders 121 and by means of a knurled knob 123 the numbers carried by the cylinders 121 may be positioned as desired.

Immediately beneath the numbering device 120 the platform 103 is provided with a depressed portion 124. A resilient pad 125 constructed of rubber or the like is positioned in said depression, the upper portion of said pad being substantially fiush with the upper surface of the platform 103. A pair of brackets 126 are positioned upon each of the side walls 102 and a spool 127 is rotatably carried between each pair of brackets, said spool being adapted to carry an inked ribbon 128. The ribbon, in passing from the feed spool to the take-up spool is carried over guide members 129 whereby said ribbon may be positioned upon the top of the platform 1.03 and on the top of the pad 125. To conveniently position the ribbon over the platform 103 a slot 130 is provided in each side wall 131 which comprises a substantial extension of the side walls 102. In this fashion the ribbon may be conveniently threaded into position.

The arrangement is such that after the operator has copied all of the pertinent data from a predetermined original bill of stack 106, the bill is moved over the upper surface of the platform 103 and is guided beneath the ribbon 123 and the upper portion of the pad 125 by means of a guide strip 132. When a desired portion of the bill is positioned over the pad 125, the lever 115 is depressed whereby the cylinders 121 of the numbering device 120 are brought into pressure contact with the ribbon 128 and thus an appropriate number is stamped upon the bill. The bill may then be discharged from the numbering machine and deposited in the receptacle 107.

An arm 133 is carried upon shaft 114 and a conventional microswitch 134 is mounted upon one of the side walls 113, the microswitch being connected to conductors 135. Thus, with each depression of the numbering device 120 the microswitch 134 is actuated to control an operation to be hereinafter more fully described.

A microswitch 136 is positioned beneath the path of travel of the sections 21, said switch having a pivoted switch arm 137 at the end of which a roller 138 is carried. The switch 136 is carried by a frame portion 139 of the carriage 8 and the roller 138 extends upwardly through an aperture 140 in another frame portion 141 of the machine. The roller 138 is disposed adjacent one of the feeler lugs 78 hereinbefore described. The arrangement is such that when a section 21 passes over the roller 138 the arm 137 of the microswitch depresses the contact button 142 of the switch and thus maintains the switch in a desired position. When, however, one of the notches 26 moves over roller 138, the spring pressed button 142 moves the arm 137 upwardly, the upward movement being permitted by virtue of the fact that the roller 133 extends into a notch 26. Thus, the microswitch 136 assumes a different position electrically. The microswitch 136 is provided with conductors 143 which are connccte' to a circuit to be hereinafter more fully described.

Referring particularly to Fig. 16 a schematic wiring diagram is shown. The electrical circuit comprises a pair of conductors 144 and 145 which are connected to a conventional male plug 146 whereby said conductors may be connected to the usual lighting circuit. Conductor 144 is connected by means of conductor 147 to a switch arm 148 comprising a portion of the microswitch 134. Conductor 144 is also connected to an arm 149 of a relay controlled switch 150. Conductor 144 is also connected by means of conductor 151 to an arm 152 of the microswitch 136. The companion arm 153 of the microswitch 136 is connected by means of conductor 156 to conductor 145.

When the microswitch 136 is open, that is, when the roller 138 is depressed by a section 21, the arm 149 of the relay switch 150 is in closed position with respect to a companion arm 157, the arm 149 being drawn into this position by means of coil spring 158. The arm 157 is, in turn, connected by means of conductor 158 to an outlet-receptacle 159, said receptacle being carried upon the machine 101. The conductor 145 is also directly connected to the receptacle 159. The machine 1, which may be electrically operated, carries conductors 160 and 161 which are connected at one end to the operable portion of the machine 1. The opposite ends of said conductors are connected to a conventional plug 162 which may make electrical contact with the receptacle 159.

Accordingly, when microswitch 136 is open, the circuit is completed to the machine 1 and the machine can be operated. When the lever arm 115 of the numbering machine 101 is depressed switch arm 163 is brought into contact with switch arm 148 of the microswitch 134. The switch arm 163 is interconnected by means of conductor 164 to a relay coil 165 the opposite side of which is connected by means of conductor 166 to conductor 145. Accordingly, when the microswitch 134 is closed the relay coil 165 is energized and said coil draws a holding armature 167 toward its core, the armature 167 being pivoted at 168 and being spring biased by a coil spring 169.

In the operation of the device the operator types the desired data upon one of the sections 21, this data being derived from an original bill of the stack 106. As has been hereinbefore described, the sections 21 are consecutively numbered. Consequently, the data which has been copied upon the section constitute data which is correlative to the data carried by the original bill from which it was copied. After the copying operation has beenperformed the webs comprising the sections 21 move forwardly and'eventually the roller 138 of microswitch 136 engages in a notch 26. This causes the closing of microswitch 136. When the microswitch 136 closes, the relay coil 155 is energized and the upper portion of arm 149 is drawn toward the core of the coil 155, said arm moving against the tension of the spring 158. Thus, the circuit between conductor 144 and 158 is opened and hence the typewriter or billing machine is rendered inoperative. Thus, after a section 21 has been typed and has been moved forwardly until a notch 26 engages the roller 138, the typewriter or billing machine is rendered operative. However, when the roller 138 engages the notch, the machine 1 is rendered inoperative.

In order that the operator may continue typing upon the next section 21, the microswitch 134 must be closed. This switch can only be closed by manipulation of the arm 115. Accordingly, after the operator has copied all of the data from the original bill, it is placed in the numbering machine 101 and the arm 115 is depressed. As has been hereinbefore described, when the microswitch 134 is closed, the coil 165 is energized. By the opening of the microswitch 136 coil 135 has previously been deenergized and consequently spring 158 pulls arm 149 into contact with arm 157. This operation again energizes the machine 1 and permits the operator to continue the copying operation.

It can readily be seen that by this arrangement it is substantially impossible for an operator to overlook numbering an original bill since the machine 1 is rendered inoperative until the previously copied original is passed through the numbering machine 101 and the number 10. applied thereto. After the number has been applied'to the original bill the machine 1 is again in condition for further use.

Upon the wall 112 of the housing 108 a pair of signal lights 170 and 171 are positioned. For purposes of illustration the light 170 may be a red light and the light 171 may be a green light. The light 170 is connected on one side by conductor 172 to conductor 145. The opposite side of said light is connected by means of conductor 173 to a switch arm 174 which is disposed adjacent the switch arm 149 of relay 150. Accordingly, when relay coil 155 has been energized by the closing of microswitch 136 and arm 149 has been drawn to the core of the coil 155, conductor 173 is connected to conductor 144 and the red light 170 is illuminated. The illumination of the red light 170 indicates to the operator that the machine 1 is inoperative.

One side of the green light 171 is connected by means of conductor 175 to conductor 145. The opposite side of the light 170 is connected by means of conductor 176 4 to conductor 158 and thence to switch arm 157 of relay 150. Accordingly, when the switch arms 149 and 157 are connected together, thereby energizing the machine 1, the green light 171 is illuminated. By virtue of the fact that the switch arm 149 connects with switch arm 157 it simultaneously breaks the circuit to the red light and thus the red light is extinguished. The illumination of the green light and the extinction of the red light indicates to the operator that the machine 1 is again ready for operation.

To conveniently set the numbering device 120 the housing 108 may be rocked in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 14, whereby the knob 123 is available for manipulation. An arm 177 is connected to the cylinder manipulating shaft 178 of the numbering device 20. A pin 179 is carried by the frame 131. The arrangement is such that when the lever arm 115 is depressed to cause the numbering device to number the bill positioned upon the pad 125, the arm 177 contacts pin 179 and thus upon the return stroke of the lever arm 115 one of the cylinders 121 will be so moved as to present a consecu tive number whereby the next bill numbered will be numbered consecutively with respect to the previously numbered bill.

In some forms of the superimposed webs constituting the sections 21, the webs are joined together at their alternate lateral or longitudinal sides. When such webs are employed, before segregation of the copies comprising each section, said webs must be severed at said lateral junctions subsequent to the transversesevering of the webs by knife 86. To accomplish the lateral severing operation, the following described apparatus is em ployed.

Referring particularly to Figs. 4, 11 and 13, on opposite sides of the machine 6, adjacent the ends of shaft 92 superimposed brackets 180 are mounted upon the lower faces of alternately vertically spaced guide plates 23. A knife 181'is pivotally secured intermediate its length to each of the brackets, and the cutting portion of each knife is swingable into the path of travel of fold 183 between adjacent copies 184 of a section 21 when longitudinally folded webs are employed. Each knife 181 is disposed in the same plane as the guide 23 upon which it is mounted, the end portion of each knife, when the knife is in cutting position, being disposed in a notch 185 provided in an edge of the guide 23.

As can be seen from Fig. 11, the folds 183 are staggered from side to side of the webs and, hence, where five copies are to be made, as illustrated, four knives 181- will be employed, two on each side of the device. It can readily be seen that the rollers 93 act upon the sections 21 adjacent knives 181 to pull said sections forwardly, and in so doing, the sections are pulled past the knives and the folds 183 are thus severed.

Thus it can be seen that the superimposed webs comprising the sections 21 are cut transversely by knife 86 to separate the sections transversely and, if the webs are of the type which are laterally joined at their alternate side edges, the lateral folds 183 are severed. Thus, a plurality of individual copies 186 are formed. The copies 186 still in superimposed relationship to form the sections are urged forwardly by the rollers 93 through the guides 23.

However, the lowermost guide 23 (Fig. terminates short of the open topped drawer 17 and, hence, the lowermost copy 186, when urged forwardly, falls into drawer 17. Immediately above the lowermost copy 186 is a carbon paper 24 which, being relatively limp, follows the curved end of the guide 24 (designated 187 in Fig. 10). Thus, the lowermost carbon paper falls through the space 18 between drawers 17 and 17a and is caught by the bottom drawer 19. The next copy 186 falls into drawer 17a and the next carbon falls through the space 18 between drawer 17a and 17b and into drawer 19, and so on until all copies have been deposited in the appropriate drawers 17, 17a, etc. and all carbon papers fall into the drawer 19.

It can readily be seen that all lowermost copies 186 of the sections enter the same drawer 17. All of the next copies fall in drawer 17a and so on whereby the like copies of all sections are segregated. It will be noted that the drawers are long relative to the size of the copies 186. This provision is made since the carriage 8 moves transversely with the carriage of the machine 1 whereas the drawers remain stationary. Of course, when the copies are removed from the drawers, the drawers may be slid upon the angle guides 188 and 189 from beneath the carriage 8.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device for making and segregating multiple copies from an original document which comprises, an electrically actuated typewriting machine through which a plurality of superimposed webs and interleaved carbon papers are passed, a frame, a printing station upon said frame, said superimposed webs and carbon papers being provided with a plurality of spaced notches, an electric switch carried by said frame and having a control arm engageable with one of said notches to deenergize the typewriting machine when a predetermined portion of said web is in printing position in said printing station, a sequential numbering device for passing an original document therethrough to be numbered, a switch carried by said numbering device and connected to said typewriting machine for energizing said typewriting machine when the numbering device is actuated, means for transversely severing said webs and carbon papers into a plurality of sections each comprising a plurality of printed copies and interleaved carbon sheets, means on said frame for guiding each individual copy and carbon sheet of each section forwardly from said printing station, a plurality of receptacles carried beneath the path of travel of said copies and carbon papers upon said frame, means for depositing predetermined copies of each section from said guides to predetermined receptacles, and means for depositing the interleaved carbon sheets of each section from said guides to a common receptacle.

2. In a device for segregating multiple copies wherein a plurality of superimposed webs and interleaved carbon papers are typed upon the rotatable and axially movable platen of a typewriting machine and fed forwardly from said typewriting machine, the combination of an attachment for said typewriting machine comprising a frame for positioning adjacent said typewriting machine, a transversely movable carriage upon said frame, means for rcmovably connecting said transversely movable carriage to the carriage of the typewriting machine whereby said transversely movable carriage moves with said typewriter carriage when said typewriter carriage moves with axial movement of the platen, means for indexing said webs fed forwardly from said typewriting machine platen upon said transversely movable carriage, knife means carried upon said transversely movable carriage for transversely cutting said superimposed webs and interleaved carbon papers while the same are held in indexed position to form a plurality of sections each comprising a plurality of typed copies and interleaved carbon sheets, means on said transversely movable carriage for guiding each individual copy and carbon sheet of each section forwardly, a plurality of receptacles carried beneath the path of travel of said copies and carbon sheets upon said transversely movable carriage, means for depositing predetermined copies of each section from said guides to predetermined receptacles, and means for depositing the interleaved carbon sheets of each section from said guides to a common receptacle.

3. In a device for segregating multiple copies wherein a plurality of superimposed webs and interleaved carbon papers are typed upon the rotatable platen carried upon a transversely movable carriage of a typewriting machine and fed forwardly from said typewriting machine transversely to the movement of the typewriter carriage, the combination of a frame for positioning adjacent said type writing machine, a transversely movable carriage upon said frame, means for connecting said frame-carried transversely movable carriage to the carriage of the typewriting machine whereby said frame-carried transversely movable carriage moves with said typewriter carriage, means for indexing said webs fed forwardly from said typewriting machine platen upon said frame-carried transversely movable carriage, knife means carried upon said framecarried transversely movable carriage for trans versely cutting said superimposed webs and interleaved carbon papers while the same are held in indexed position to form a plurality of sections each comprising a plurality of typed copies and interleaved carbon sheets, means on said frame-carried transversely movable carriage for guiding each individual copy and carbon sheet of each section forwardly, roller means carried upon said framecarried transversely movable carriage, means for connecting said roller means to said typewriter platen for rotating said roller means and moving said copies and carbon sheets through said guide means, a plurality of receptacles carried beneath the path of travel of said copies and carbon sheets upon said frame-carried transversely movable carriage, means for depositing predetermined copies of each section from said guides to predetermined receptacles, and means for depositing the interleaved carbon sheets of each section from said guides to a common receptacle.

4. In a device for segregating multiple copies wherein a plurality of superimposed webs and interleaved carbon papers are typed upon the rotatable platen carried upon a movable carriage of a typewriting machine and fed forwardly from said typewriting machine, the combination of an attachment for said typewriting machine comprising a frame for positioning adjacent said typewriting machine, a transversely movable carriage upon said frame, means for removably connecting said transversely movable carriage to the movable carriage of the typewriting machine whereby said transversely movable carriage moves with said typewriter carriage, means for indexing said webs fed forwardly from said typewriting machine platen upon said transversely movable carriage, means carried upon said transversely movable carriage for transversely severing said superimposed webs and interleaved carbon papers while the same are held in indexed position to form a plurality of sections each comprising a plurality of typed copies and interleaved carbon sheets, means on said transversely movable carriage for guiding each individual copy and carbon sheet of each section forwardly, roller means carried upon said transversely movable carriage, means for connecting said roller means to said typewriter platen for moving said copies and carbon sheets through said guide means, a plurality of receptacles carried beneath the path of travel of said copies and carbon sheets upon said transversely movable carriage, means for depositing predetermined copies of each section from said guides to predetermined receptacles, and means for depositing the interleaved carbon sheets of each section from said guides to a common receptacle.

5. A device for making and segregating multiple copies from an original document which comprises, an electrically actuated typewriting machine through which a plurality of superimposed webs and interleaved carbon papers are passed, a frame, a web severing station upon said frame, said superimposed webs and carbon papers being provided with a plurality of spaced notches, an electric switch carried by said frame and having a control arm engageable with one of said notches to deenergize the typewriting machine when a predetermined portion of said web is in web-severing position in said web-severing station, a sequential numbering device for passing an original document therethrough to be numbered, a switch carried by said numbering device and connected to said typewriting machine for energizing said typewriting machine when the numbering device is actuated, means carried at said web-severing station for transversely severing said webs and carbon papers into a plurality of sections each comprising a plurality of typed copies and interleaved carbon sheets, means on said frame for guiding each individual copy and carbon sheet of each section forwardly from said web-severing station, a plurality of receptacles carried beneath the path of travel of said copies and carbon papers upon said frame, means for depositing predetermined copies of each section from said guides to predetermined receptacles, and means for depositing the interleaved carbon sheets of each section from said guides to a common receptacle.

6. A device for making and segregating multiple copies from an original document which comprises a typewriting machine through which a plurality of superimposed webs and interleaved carbon papers are passed, a frame, a websevering station upon said frame, said superimposed webs and carbon sheets being provided with a plurality of 14 spaced notches, means carried by said frame and having a control arm engageable with one of said notches for deenergizing the typewriting machine when a predetermined portion of the web is in the web-severing station, a sequential numbering device for sequentially numbering original documents passed therethrough, means carried by said numbering device and connected to said typewriting machine for reenergizing said typewriting machine when the numbering device is actuated, means at said web-severing station for transversely severing said webs and carbon papers into a plurality of sections when said predetermined portions are in said web-severing station, each of said sections comprising a plurality of typed copies and interleaved carbon sheets, means on said frame for guiding each individual copy and carbon sheet of each section for wardly from said web-severing station, a plurality of receptacles carried beneath the path of travel of said copies and carbon papers upon said frame, means for depositing predetermined copies of each section from said guides to predetermined receptacles, and means for depositing the interleaved carbon sheets of each section from said guides to a common receptacle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 614,809 Henkle Nov. 22, 1898 1,454,821 Sherman -1 May 8, 1923 1,454,822 Sherman May 8, 1923 1,484,136 Kohnle Feb. 19, 1924 2,158,727 Morrison May 16, 1939 2,181,117 Brenn Nov. 28, 1939 2,273,162 Willard Feb. 17, 1942 2,425,105 Mabon Aug. 5, 1949 2,539,358 Warren Jan. 23, 1951 2,553,709 Henry May 22, 1951 2,600,215 De Florez June 10, 1952 2,619,175 Gottlieb Nov. 25, 1952 2,639,145 Long May 19, 1953 2,666,484 Schubert Jan. 19, 1954 

